PORTSMOUTH, N.H. (AP) – Restoration at the historic North Church has been set back by the fierce storm that toppled scaffolding and the church spire on Friday.

Project officials estimate the damage will lengthen the restoration by about three weeks.

Friday evening’s storm tossed scaffolding and wood from the 40-foot-tall spire onto Pleasant Street and the sidewalk. No one was seriously hurt, but flying debris damaged vehicles.

The church is in the midst of a $1.5 million renovation project to repair the deteriorated steeple. New beams for the spire had been erected.

“This may be a hiccup in the construction, but it is in no way going to affect the fund-raising effort,” said Phil Pettis, chairman of the North Church’s cabinet.

Pettis said some parts of the church’s roof were damaged when wooden beams went through them. But the sanctuary was undamaged, along with all windows. Pettis said they hope to have the project completed by October or November.

Jamie French, co-chairman of the Market Square Steeple Advisory Committee, said the accident has the potential to re-energize fund-raising efforts. The community already has raised $425,000. The church members pledged $500,000, so they are about two-thirds of the way to their $1.5 million goal, French said.

Bob Levesque of American Steeple and Tower Co. said the company still is investigating, but it appears that the wind caused the scaffolding and the spire to fall.

“Everything was the way it was supposed to be. We couldn’t have done anything differently. It’s just one of those freak things,” he said.

Levesque said if the thunderstorm had happened with the old spire, before the new beams were erected, much more of the steeple could have come down.